You have reached the Cape May Birding Hotline, a service of New Jersey
Audubon Society's Cape May Bird Observatory. Highlights for the week
ending October 21 include reports of SWAINSONS HAWK, WESTERN KINGBIRD,
EURASIAN WIGEON, Collared-dove sp., local nature notes, news of an
upcoming pelagic trip, and news of CMBO.

Note: Forsythe NWR (or Brigantine) continues to be closed on Thursdays
through October for goose management.

CMBOs Avalon Seawatch officially began on September 22nd. The Avalon
Seawatch is at 7th street and the beach at the north end of Avalon. This
years counter is Chris Wood from Lakewood, Colorado. Fred Mears will do
the count on Chris days off and on hand during the peak period will be
Glen Davis, Jim Armstrong, and Gail Dwyer. The Sea Watch is entering a
period of very high activity. Scoter flights will reach maximum levels
in the next two weeks, after which the main movements of Northern
Gannets and Red-throated Loons will occur. A POMARINE JAEGER was seen at
the Sea Watch on October 17.

Local Nature Notes: This seasons monarch flight has been one of, if not
the best, ever. Between September 22 and October 20, Chris Wood, the Sea
Bird counter, has tallied about 80,000 Monarchs moving south along the
coast, and thats just on the barrier island side. About 4,300 Monarchs
have been tagged. A recent recovery was of a Monarch tagged in Cape May
and recovered the next day at Cape Charles, VA nearly 130 miles south. A
rare dragonfly was seen at the South Cape May Meadows on October 16. A
Variegated Meadowhawk, a western dragonfly, has been seen in Cape May
before, but not in a number of years.

Focus on Nature Tours is organizing a pelagic trip out of Cape May on
Sunday November 21 aboard the Morning Star. The trip runs from 5 a.m. to
5 p.m. and costs $95. For more info call 1-800-362-0869, or email
font@focusonnature.com.

On Saturday, October 23 there will be a celebration to recognize the
transfer of the former Coast Guard property in Lower Township to the
Cape May National Wildlife Refuge. The site will be known as the "Two
Mile Beach Unit". All are welcome. The ceremony is at 10:00 a.m. In
addition, the Cape May Bird Observatory will offer 1-hour bird and
butterfly walks at the site at 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and one following
the ceremony at around 11:00 a.m. The site of the celebration and walks
is at the south end of Wildwood Crest, with access off Ocean Drive just
as you enter Wildwood Crest.

The Cape May Bird Observatory has daily walks, requiring no
preregistration, and many special field trips and programs that do. To
receive a copy of our Program Schedule, stop our centers, or call
609-861-0700, or go to New Jersey Audubon's WEB SITE at
http://www.njaudubon.org

The Cape May Bird Observatory is a research and education unit of the
New Jersey Audubon Society. Our aim is to perpetuate and preserve the
ornithological significance of Cape May. Your membership supports these
goals and this hotline. For more information call 609-861-0700 or send a
request for information to CMBO, 600 Route 47 North, Cape May Court
House, NJ 08210. Don't hesitate to visit our two centers of activity.
CMBO's Center for Research & Education is located at 600 Route 47 North
in Goshen. CMBO's Northwood Center is located at 701 East Lake Drive in
Cape May Point. Both centers feature gardens, feeding stations, nature &
book stores, and birding information. The Center in Goshen also has a
wildlife art gallery, featuring artists, photographer, and carvers. Each
Center is OPEN DAILY 10-5.

The Cape May Birding Hotline is a service of New Jersey Audubon's Cape
May Bird Observatory and details sightings from Cape May, Cumberland,
and Atlantic Counties and near shore waters. Updates are made on
Thursday evenings, more often if warranted. Please report sightings of
rare or unusual birds to CMBO at 609-884-2736. Thanks for calling and
GOOD BIRDING!